1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the recovery of lost jewelry and diamonds, and more particularly, to a system for recovery that includes identification information affixed to jewelry by micro-labels or micro-engraving, and to diamonds by laser inscription, in order to prompt the finder to call a finder service provider.
2. Description of the Background
Determining the owner of lost or stolen jewelry and gems poses a hardship for a host of public authorities and private entities nationwide. From local police departments to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, establishing the identity of jewelry is an uncertain and often unsuccessful undertaking. Thousands of pieces of jewelry are auctioned each year after futile efforts to find the rightful owner. Lost and found departments at private businesses including hotels, stores, bars, restaurants, parks, and shopping malls are likewise confounded by the difficulty of returning lost items to their original owners. Further, insurance companies routinely pay on claims for lost jewelry items, and would profit from a method which would improve their insureds' chances for recovering lost jewelry.
Prior methods and articles to recover lost personal property have been attempted. U.S. Pat. No. 5,570,081 to Holstrom discloses a recovery system which uses a two-piece detachable card. One piece, the tag, is attached to the article to be protected, and the other piece, the base, is placed in a secure location. If the article is lost, instructions on the tag inform the finder to call a certain phone number and enter the tag number into a voice-mail recording. The owner may subsequently contact the message system and periodically check to see if any messages referencing his tag number have been posted.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,064,307 to Silver shows a method for recovering a lost object which also uses a tagging system. The tag informs the finder to call a phone number which accesses a clearing house. The finder is prompted to enter the code from the tag. The clearing house then forwards a call to the owner of the lost article, providing the telephone number from which the call was placed.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,180,192 to Herbert discloses an article and return method for lost personal accessories. An adhesive label instructing the finder to deposit the item found in a mailbox is attached to the item. Additionally, a second label carrying a barcode is applied to the item by the owner. The item is received by a central processing facility which uses the barcoded indicia to identify the owner, and the item is returned by mail to the owner.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,271,352 to Thomas teaches a method of processing lost items which maintains the secrecy of the lost items. A coded card is attached to an item of value. The finder is prompted to return the item carrying the coded card to a central processing center. The central processing center deciphers the code which includes the owners mailing address, packages the item, and ships the item to the owner.
However, none of the above or any known prior art references teach the use of a micro-label, micro-engraving or laser inscription small enough to be discreetly affixed to a piece of jewelry. Further, none of the prior art methods teach a system for recovering said jewelry and diamonds when lost that employs a clearing house with a live operator that receives the finder's call and mediates the return of the found article. In light of the foregoing, it would be of great advantage to create an improved system specifically designed to facilitate the recovery of lost jewelry and diamonds, wherein owner identification information affixed to jewelry by a micro-label or micro-engraving, or to diamonds by laser inscription, prompts a finder to call the service provider, who actively mediates the return of the lost jewelry.